Pendleside Charity Tractor Run celebrates 10th anniversary

With a quack, quack here and neigh there, the annual Pendleside Charity Tractor Run is getting ready to roll with an 'Old MacDonald Had a Farm' theme to mark its 10th anniversary.

Set to be the most spectacular incarnation yet, with even more vehicles and more spectators gathering to celebrate the 10-year anniversary, this year's run takes place on Saturday 18th August from 4pm and will be raising funds for the chemotherapy unit at the Royal Blackburn Teaching Hospital and the Rosemere Cancer Foundation, for which £15,000 has been raised since 2012.

Launched by organisers Laura Standring, of Newchurch, Brian Nutter, of Sabden Old Hall Farm in Sabden Fold - the run’s starting and end point - and Phil Sanderson, the run was started in celebration of the life of farmer Andrew Nutter.

Brother to Laura and Brian and a friend a neighbour to Phil, Andrew died of cancer in 2009 at the age of just 40, with the support for the Pendleside Charity Tractor Run - which has more than 40,000 followers on Facebook alone - and its ever-growing popularity testament to the esteem in which the farming community still holds Andrew.

“Everyone is being very tight-lipped about their costumes and how they are planning to decorate their tractors and trailers but we are expecting some very creative takes on our theme!" said Laura. "We introduced it to make this year’s run special with it being our tenth. We’re anticipating some great fun.”

Taking in the villages of Higham, Fence, Barrowford, Blacko, Roughlee, Barley, and Newchurch, the run will feature more than 100 farm vehicles. Entry is £5 per vehicle, with each entrant receiving a commemorative mug sponsored by A&B Milligan Corn Merchants of Burnley, while entrants will also be rewarded with cake and a brew at the finish, where hot beef sandwiches and raffle tickets will be on sale.

A bucket collection by members of Pendle Young Farmers’ Club will also be in operation, and the run's media is sponsored by Padiham’s Craggs Energy Ltd. Anyone wanting to join the line-up or donate raffle prizes can visit the run’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/PendleTractor/ or call Laura on 0777 091 7699.